Hi Jamie

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis but it's been caught early and the odds are good that you will have no further problems. While you are waiting for a reply to your query try searching melanoma stage 1a using the blue bar immediately above your posting (not the white search at top which searches all of cancer research site just the blue one that searches the chat forum). Angie who is stage 3 melanoma has posted a lot of helpful reassurance to many who have asked similar queries. I can't remember if she has answered your specific question but I think it might be helpful to see what she has said to others. I've had severely dysplastic moles which have been "treat as melanoma" so WLE, but I haven't hit the melanoma threshold quite yet (I have a family history of melanoma and other risk factors which means I'll probably get there too eventually - hence my interest). Wishing you well. xx

Hi Jamie - I think you might find these statistics from the Cancer Research site really reassuring. Hope the link works.

www.cancerresearchuk.org/.../survival

I think the statistics cover all ages and stages so the odds for you are especially good. If you prefer please call the nurse helpline on this site or use the chat facility to chat to a nurse or ask a nurse a question. Not everyone wants the detailed stats.

Also please remember the stats are misleading because they only cover up to 10 years. That does NOT mean you only live 10 years! 

I'm sure I've read somewhere that 95% of people with stage1a melanoma have no further problem.

Do take especial care and do everything you're told in terms of avoiding sun exposure from now on. It matters. xx

Hi thank u for replying I'm still scared that I will only live for 10 years sounds daft doesnt it but I will only 40 and my eldest will 20 my youngest would be 10. I want to live a full life and get to see my grand children. Why is everything coming back with 10 year survival rate.

Am I being silly in asking. I suffer with really bad PTSD so this isnt helping with things. I have my wle book I  for next week and I'm reading on here that they test that too I didn't know this. So now I'm worrying that they will find more. I've told them they can take my while leg if it ment I can see my children grow. 

Also doesnt help that my kids father has just been diagnosed with heart failure with his survival rate being 5 years. Were currently not together. Xxx

It's because that's all that ONS collect in terms of data. The figure I've got in my head for stage1a is that 95% have NO further problems and so no impact on lifespan. It's been caught really early. Angie is stage 3 and still here 17 years on. (Angie has corrected this to 24 years - see below post). I think she was one of those uncommon stage 1 cases (not sure if 1a or 1b) that does come back. But treatments for melanoma are improving all the time so the survival statistics end up being a bit out of date. 

It is understandable you are worried. I think you should call a nurse tomorrow for a chat (either on this site or one of the Macmillan nurses) given your anxiety.

It is normal to feel scared and I understand where you are coming from given that your kids father has been diagnosed with heart failure. Please try not to worry at this stage. Stick with the thought that most people with stage1a have no further problems. The doctors will be very thorough doing the WLE. They take a photograph and know what margins to take. Then they check that they have got it all out. I hope all goes well with the op. There are quite a few who have been through this recently. There was a discussion just 2 days ago with others in exactly your position. Sending you love xx

Thank u so much u have said exactly what I wanted to hear. Feel so silly asking people all the time. 

Sending u love back xxx

Not silly. Human. And a very loving mum! Take care xx

Hi Jamie,

Thank you Anonymouss for your mention of my help with information about melanoma. Sunscared is correct about 95% of Stage 1 patients never having any further problems with melanoma. Sadly, these forums are usually populated by patients who are currently having problems, whilst those who have been clear of the disease for a few years don't come back to share their stories - which is understandabale because they move on with their lives. 

Anonymouss has also explained why they don't show survival statistics past the 10 year mark. Consider this - Stage 1 & 2 patients are monitored for between 1 & 3 years before being discharged, Stage 3 for 5 years (it used to be 10 years) and Stage 4 indefinitely as it's not common for Stage 4 to survive beyond 10 years (although with new drug treatment for melanoma I know quite a few who are still free of the disease up to 15 years later & counting)! So it makes it difficult to study how many Stage 1 patients have survived past the 10 year mark - the only way is to look to see if they have progressed to a Stage 3 or 4 in that time & the count then starts again from that progression date. So in my case, I survived 13 years Stage 1 before I progressed to Stage 3 & I have survived 11 years (and still free of the disease) since being diagnosed Stage 3 - so I've survived 24 years so far. I was in the unlucky 5% of patients that progress from Stage 1, and I know of a few other patients in the same position. However, I only know of 2 Stage 1 patients that are still free of the disease between 14 & 25 years later - and this is only because they choose to still go on the forums & help newly diagnosed like yourself, know that there is still a very, very good chance that you will live to a ripe old age! 

So don't get hung up on the 10 year cut off for stats. Your chances of seeing your grandchildren are 95% and, should melanoma sadly come back & progress, there is still a good chance you will still see your grandchildren because drug treatments for late stage patients is showing great results. 

If you find it really hard to deal with your diagnosis, please contact your local Macmillan or Maggies Centre who provide counselling. I know many patients who have found this a great help. Meanwhile, I will send you a friend request so that, if you accept it, we can chat by private message if you ever feel the need. Take care, you will be fine,

Angie

I think the best hope for Cancer is to find it quickly and it sounds like you have.

I was diagnosed with superficial spreading melanoma in 2014 when I was 52. I had what looked like a large red pimple the size of a petit-pois pea on my left forearm. After my diagnosis they then completed a sentinel node biopsy and they found two cancer cells in my lymph nodes and so they removed my lymph nodes. So I went from stage 1b to stage 3 cancer because of the lymph nodes. After removing 14 of my lymph nodes in my left armpit they found no further cancer, so I consider myself very lucky.

Over the last 5+ years I have had numerous scans from CT, MRI and PET/CT at different London hospitals (latest ones yesterday) and have my final appointment in August (fingers crossed). I am worried that I will have no further check ups/scans after this date, but have been told that making it to five years reduces my chances of it returning

I think to start with I filled myself with negative thoughts, but it slowly goes to the back of your mind and you start to almost forget it. 
if you have any other questions then do not hesitate to ask xx

Hi Amanda,

It's great to hear that you are doing well. I was discharged after 10 years earlier this year but I was told that, should I find anything that worries me, I just pick up the phone & ring my plastic surgeon's secretary for an appointment. So this should be the same for you. I could have been referred back to dermatology for annual checks but my consultant, quite rightly, pointed out that in the majority of cases a patient will find a problem first - it's rare that a consultant find's it on the one or two appointments we have in a year! This certainly is correct in my case (I noticed my primary & I also noticed the lump in my groin before my next appointment)!

Good luck at your appointment,

Angie

Thanks Angie, that's good to know.